Post by Erika on Mar 13, 2008 12:48:46 GMT -5
Lena's tough on Terminators
by OLIVIA ROBINSON - Thursday, February 21, 2008
What does it take to earn major kudos with the fanboy community? For Lena Headey, being the Queen of Sparta to Gerard Butler's King Leonidas in graphic abs-and-sandals epic 300 helped. Up to a point.
'I was at the WonderCon convention with 300 and all the women in the audience were screaming for Gerry,' recalls the British actress, insisting that she's still only a support act when it comes to the obsessive convention world. 'It was like Elvis had come back. Honestly, it was madness – and everyone ignored me.'
Being ignored is not something that sits easily with the feisty Headey. And it's likely to be a thing of the past soon, given that her next TV project, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, pulled in an audience of more than 18million when it opened in the US. This shadowy and intense series sees Headey face a daunting challenge: taking the part that put Linda Hamilton on the map in Arnold Schwarzenegger's apocalyptic Terminator film franchise.
'They're all iconic characters so I sort of knew what the movie trilogy was about but I hadn't sat down and given it my full attention,' she confesses.
'When the first film came out I was more into The Breakfast Club and Judd Nelson,' she smiles. 'But I watched Terminator 2, which is the most relevant to the show.'
The story picks up after 1991's Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Sarah Connor is working as a waitress, continually shifting from town to town as she strives to keep 15-year-old son John (Heroes actor Thomas Dekker) under the radar of murderous machines.
By the end of the opening episode, mother, son and newly acquired sexy cyborg bodyguard Cameron (who provides some comic relief and is played by Serenity star Summer Glau) blast forward to the present day to evade a persistent Terminator who has picked up their trail. Bizarrely, and in a scene reminiscent of Arnie's infamous first Terminator entrance, the trio lose their clothes in the time-travel process and emerge naked in the middle of a busy highway.
Time travel and highways aside, it was a familiar scenario for Headey, who is not an actress precious about getting her kit off. 'I've been naked so much, it was fine,' she shrugs in a matter of fact way. 'I had Thomas's bum in my face, so we kind of got to know each other quite intimately, quite quickly.'
Refreshingly, in a profession riven with insecurities, 34-year-old Headey seems comfortable in her own skin. Which is just as well for she's taken flak over her slender figure, with US critics griping that her biceps are a little on the puny side for iconic resistance fighter Connor. Criticisms such as 'toothpick thin' and 'a twig of an action heroine' are ones she bats back with a cool, green-eyed stare.
'We want it to be realistic,' she says of Connor's physique. 'I don't want it to be like a superhero, I want it to be this woman who is fighting because she loves her son. It's more of an animalistic, physical presence than anything else. She's not this martial artist, she's scrappy and tough and gets stuck in there.'
These are character traits Headey shares. Born in Bermuda, she was five when her policeman father was posted back to Somerset and then Yorkshire. A teenage rebel, she ran away from home briefly at the age of 15 but found a release in acting when she was cast in her first film, Waterland with Jeremy Irons, at the age of 17.
Her career took off with TV roles in Soldier Soldier and Band Of Gold, playing Samantha Morton's girlfriend. The latter won her a huge lesbian following, which only grew when she hooked up with Piper Perabo on the big screen in Imagine Me & You. 'Everyone thanked us for Imagine Me & You, for making it commercial and not embarrassing, and sweet and romantic,' says Headey. 'I get a lot of support from women. It's really cool.'
Further film roles followed – The Remains Of The Day, The Brothers Grimm and, most recently, St Trinian's make up an eclectic CV – as did a nine-year relationship with Lock, Stock… actor Jason Flemyng.
Now married to Irish musician Peter Paul, Headey tied the knot just a few months before moving to Los Angeles (with their three dogs) to play Connor. 'I love it actually, it's a really nice existence,' she says, of life Stateside – but she's yet to completely embrace the bright lights of Hollywood and will be staying true to her British roots, whether Connor becomes her signature role or not.
'I miss London so bad, I'm especially homesick right now,' she admits. 'I'm doing a big roast for everyone on Sunday, lots of people, very traditional, kind of forcing red wine down their necks.' Who would dare refuse?
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles starts on Virgin 1 tonight at 10pm.
Metro.UK - Source
by OLIVIA ROBINSON - Thursday, February 21, 2008
What does it take to earn major kudos with the fanboy community? For Lena Headey, being the Queen of Sparta to Gerard Butler's King Leonidas in graphic abs-and-sandals epic 300 helped. Up to a point.
'I was at the WonderCon convention with 300 and all the women in the audience were screaming for Gerry,' recalls the British actress, insisting that she's still only a support act when it comes to the obsessive convention world. 'It was like Elvis had come back. Honestly, it was madness – and everyone ignored me.'
Being ignored is not something that sits easily with the feisty Headey. And it's likely to be a thing of the past soon, given that her next TV project, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, pulled in an audience of more than 18million when it opened in the US. This shadowy and intense series sees Headey face a daunting challenge: taking the part that put Linda Hamilton on the map in Arnold Schwarzenegger's apocalyptic Terminator film franchise.
'They're all iconic characters so I sort of knew what the movie trilogy was about but I hadn't sat down and given it my full attention,' she confesses.
'When the first film came out I was more into The Breakfast Club and Judd Nelson,' she smiles. 'But I watched Terminator 2, which is the most relevant to the show.'
The story picks up after 1991's Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Sarah Connor is working as a waitress, continually shifting from town to town as she strives to keep 15-year-old son John (Heroes actor Thomas Dekker) under the radar of murderous machines.
By the end of the opening episode, mother, son and newly acquired sexy cyborg bodyguard Cameron (who provides some comic relief and is played by Serenity star Summer Glau) blast forward to the present day to evade a persistent Terminator who has picked up their trail. Bizarrely, and in a scene reminiscent of Arnie's infamous first Terminator entrance, the trio lose their clothes in the time-travel process and emerge naked in the middle of a busy highway.
Time travel and highways aside, it was a familiar scenario for Headey, who is not an actress precious about getting her kit off. 'I've been naked so much, it was fine,' she shrugs in a matter of fact way. 'I had Thomas's bum in my face, so we kind of got to know each other quite intimately, quite quickly.'
Refreshingly, in a profession riven with insecurities, 34-year-old Headey seems comfortable in her own skin. Which is just as well for she's taken flak over her slender figure, with US critics griping that her biceps are a little on the puny side for iconic resistance fighter Connor. Criticisms such as 'toothpick thin' and 'a twig of an action heroine' are ones she bats back with a cool, green-eyed stare.
'We want it to be realistic,' she says of Connor's physique. 'I don't want it to be like a superhero, I want it to be this woman who is fighting because she loves her son. It's more of an animalistic, physical presence than anything else. She's not this martial artist, she's scrappy and tough and gets stuck in there.'
These are character traits Headey shares. Born in Bermuda, she was five when her policeman father was posted back to Somerset and then Yorkshire. A teenage rebel, she ran away from home briefly at the age of 15 but found a release in acting when she was cast in her first film, Waterland with Jeremy Irons, at the age of 17.
Her career took off with TV roles in Soldier Soldier and Band Of Gold, playing Samantha Morton's girlfriend. The latter won her a huge lesbian following, which only grew when she hooked up with Piper Perabo on the big screen in Imagine Me & You. 'Everyone thanked us for Imagine Me & You, for making it commercial and not embarrassing, and sweet and romantic,' says Headey. 'I get a lot of support from women. It's really cool.'
Further film roles followed – The Remains Of The Day, The Brothers Grimm and, most recently, St Trinian's make up an eclectic CV – as did a nine-year relationship with Lock, Stock… actor Jason Flemyng.
Now married to Irish musician Peter Paul, Headey tied the knot just a few months before moving to Los Angeles (with their three dogs) to play Connor. 'I love it actually, it's a really nice existence,' she says, of life Stateside – but she's yet to completely embrace the bright lights of Hollywood and will be staying true to her British roots, whether Connor becomes her signature role or not.
'I miss London so bad, I'm especially homesick right now,' she admits. 'I'm doing a big roast for everyone on Sunday, lots of people, very traditional, kind of forcing red wine down their necks.' Who would dare refuse?
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles starts on Virgin 1 tonight at 10pm.
Metro.UK - Source
